State gives New Bedford $2.4M for high school turnaround plan

While the funding falls short of what Superintendent Pia Durkin said she requested — $5.2 million over three years — she wasn't disappointed.

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By CAROL KOZMA

southcoasttoday.com

By CAROL KOZMA

Posted May. 23, 2014 at 12:01 AM
Updated May 23, 2014 at 3:29 PM

By CAROL KOZMA

Posted May. 23, 2014 at 12:01 AM
Updated May 23, 2014 at 3:29 PM

» Social News

NEW BEDFORD — New Bedford High School will get $2.4 million from the state over the next three years to help fund its turnaround plan, state and school officials said Thursday.

While the funding falls short of what Superintendent Pia Durkin said she requested — $5.2 million over three years — she wasn't disappointed.

"We well knew that... it would never be in that range," Durkin said. "We are just thrilled with the outcome."

The money is part of $9.15 million the Patrick administration announced the state is giving to six struggling Massachusetts schools to fund turnaround and transformation efforts.

The city's high school, which has been designated Level 4 — or underperforming — received the largest single share of the funds. Springfield's High School of Science and Technology was second with $1.5 million.

Mayor Jon Mitchell said the fact that New Bedford received the largest grant "speaks to the confidence the state has" in its turnaround plan.

"We can certainly use the money and the state can have confidence that it will be well spent," he said.

Kathleen Dawson, the incoming high school headmaster, said "receiving the largest grant awarded reinforces we are on the right track."

Durkin, who is seeking $2.2 million for the high school's turnaround plan in her $116.4 million budget, said in a statement that the state "grant dollars will be used to partially support the turnaround effort at the high school ... and will allow the proposed school district's budget to meet other pressing district needs ... prioritized during the budget process."

Later, she said the additional funds could be used to fund libraries, technology upgrades, and to hire additional English Language Learner teachers, for example.

Durkin said she will hold discussions over the next few weeks to decide where the money would be best spent.

She also said the budget she has proposed — a $7 million, 6.4 percent increase over the current budget — "was really the beginning of our recovery" for "cumulative underfunding" in schools over past years.

City Council President Joe Lopes said he is looking forward to the School Department's budget presentation to the council next month.

"I am assuming the wish list of needs at the high school is greater than what was presented to us," he said.

Councilor-at-large Linda Morad said her first reaction when she heard about the grant was "Hallelujah."

"I am so happy the state has decided to step up and help," she said.

Morad said she wants to make sure the money is spent "in the classroom on the kids."

For her part, School Committee member Marlene Pollock said "It was a very competitive grant and again it shows the effectiveness of our leadership ... This is a credit to Dr. Durkin and her staff."

And School Committee member Bruce Oliveira said the grant is "real positive for a change."